Welcome to Phuket ThailandWelcome to Phuket Thailand, a favourite tourist destination for millions of tourists in the last few decades. The Island is famous for its great beaches and there is an extensive array of tourist activities and attractions to keep anyone happy for as long as your holiday runs.
Just about every part of Phuket is geared towards tourism with the 'hub' of the action at Patong Beach. We have been on holiday there so many times that we have lost count, so these days we tend to go there (particularly Patong resort) if our friends are visiting; it's still a must see Island.
Surprisingly, the sea front hotels in Patong Beach; The most popular resort in Phuket Thailand, still offer a great sanctuary from the crowded market on the front and the busy Bangla Road where the night life is centred. Most of the major hotel grounds are so big that you could believe that you were in a sparsely populated resort. However.... walk outside the entrance and you are straight in the thick of it. Our Favourite Resorts in Phuket ThailandMost of the Phuket Hotel Resorts are on the West side of the Island, where is where our favourite's are located
Everyone is different, so if your favourite resort in Phuket Thailand is not mentioned here, please contact us with your favourite resort or hotel and we will publish it for everyone to share...... and of course we will give you the credit. Weather in Phuket ThailandPhuket is a Tropical Island. The best times to visit are from November (the end of the rainy season) until Early March, just before it gets too hot. Having said that, I have been there in April, the hottest time of the year and still enjoyed the endless water activities on offer, it certainly keeps you cool in the daytime; especially in Songkran which is the Thai New Year. The resorts on Phuket Thailand are open all year if you don't mind a holiday during the wet seasons (from July to October) when the amount of rain can be a lottery. Our Favourite HotelDifficult one, there are so many fine hotels we have stayed in; many of them with their own beaches.For many years our favourite hotel has been the Patong Merlin.
The hotel is a 4 star hotel but the tropical gardens, three magnificent pools, and near town location made it our favourite place to stay on Phuket Island. On a more recent trip, my brother was on a tighter budget than usual and he picked out the Thara Patong. When we stayed there I was quite impressed. It is like a cut down version of the Patong Merlin.
The grounds are not as extensive as the Patong Merlin so you don't get the same tropical garden to walk though. There is also only one pool but that doesn't matter because it's not crowded. There has to be a winner .... Thara Patong does have a big plus in its favour, the hotel is closer to the town centre than the Merlin which means we don't have to walk along the crowded seafront market to get to the restaurant and bar areas. For that reason alone it is our choice. However, if I was taking a guest to Phuket Thailand I think they would be more impressed with the Merlin. Don't go on our recommendation alone, there are so many to choose from for all budgets, some more luxurious and others more basic that you should not have any trouble to find a hotel that suits your taste. Favourite Restaurant in Phuket ThailandAs it's impossible to try them all you may not agree with us. We did however try our best to sample as many as we could, tough life but someone has to do it.We love seafood so it has to be the 'Patong Seafood', a prominent restaurant on the sea front in Patong Beach. Not that we eat there every day, it's not the cheapest but we go there at least once every time we visit Patong Beach for a holiday with friends. The service is great and the food is even better. Attractions and Suggested Days OutIf you have the energy to participate, an endless list of activities that can keep you busy for weeks! We spoke to our friends about their experiences and these are their (and our) favourites.Speedboat Tours of the IslandsThese tours are available for half and full days out. We love them as it takes you to some of the more exotic Islands and you get an opportunity to snorkel in amongst shoals of tropical fish, even from the beach on some Islands.
The half day trips are great if you can't get out of bed in the morning and they take you to some of the nearby Islands, so you still get to experience the snorkelling or relaxing on the beach. On the half day trips drinks, fruit and biscuits are provided, but on the full day trips you will also get a generous Thai buffet lunch on one of the Islands. The full day trips take you further afield to some of the more famous Islands such as Koh Phi Phi or James Bond Island. Personally I prefer not to go to James Bond Island because when you eventually get to the beach where they filmed it, there are so many tourist gift stalls that it loses its magic. The infamous movie 'The Beach' was filmed on the Island of Koh Phi Phi Lee and the beach was re-landscaped to make it look 'exotic'. This is often one of the Islands you will visit on your day trip, however, it was a bit crowded when we last went due to its fame. However, it is still a great place to visit so if you want to tick the box and show your friends, then it's one for the album. Tuk Tuk tour of Phuket ThailandThis is probably the best way to see the Island in one day and it's far cheaper than booking a tour through an agent. When we visit Phuket Thailand we always take our guests out for a full day tour in tuk-tuks. You can plan your itinerary with the driver and negotiate a price. Ask a few drivers first before deciding which one is best, you will get a feel on how comfortable you are with the driver as it can enhance our day if you get someone enthusiastic, helpful and willing to negotiate on price. You decide where to go and don't agree to visit any shops if they suggest that you will get a bargain. If a driver is pushy from the start, smile politely and choose someone else. There are some great photo opportunities from the hilltops on the Island such as Kata or Promthep. You may also wish to visit the Big Buddha on the south of Phuket Island where there are also some amazing views. Other popular visitor’s attractions are the Temple at Wat Chalong, by far the biggest in Phuket Thailand and Phuket Town on the east side of the island. Elephant TrekkingI avoided these for years but finally succumbed to one in 2007. The experience was reasonably pleasant for someone who is not comfortable with large animals. Their amazing strength does make you feel very humble. Any tuk tuk driver who claims to know the Island can take you to an Elephant sanctuary where you can get a trek reasonable price. We were offered one hour or half a day, but one hour was enough for me..... however, all kids love the experience and may want to go for longer. Patong Go-KartsWe love this track. Just a 10 minute tuk tuk ride from Patong. The go-kart track is pretty good even by our standards and you can get 20 minutes for about 700 baht. If you are not used to karting they will let you do this in 2 x 10 minute sessions.
The karts are all in good condition for a public venue. There is a separate kart track less than 400 meters away where you can try out some more serious karts but I prefer the one pictured above as the whole family can race reasonably safely without other people travelling at ridiculous speeds. . Diving trips from Phuket ThailandFor those of you with little or no experience, don't venture out on a cheap trip with some local fishermen, use a reputable diving school.There a plenty of good diving schools and instructors available who will give you professional lessons in a safe environment before you go to sea. Getting TherePhuket Thailand is far enough away from Bangkok to justify a flight. The taxi ride could take most of the day whereas you could be in Phuket by air in less than an hour. There are also direct flights from Chiang Mai and from some neighbouring resorts and countries.Most long haul flights would require a change at Bangkok.
More information on Phuket ThailandThis page has only scratched the surface of Phuket Island and what it has to offer. For more information we recommend that you look atPhuket Travel Secrets, Thailand We like the information on this website as it focuses in on everything you need to know about travelling in Phuket Thailand, from a traveller’s perspective, not a travel agent. Top Thailand holiday tipsBooking your excursions - When you get to your destination you will want to plan your holiday.
Hiring Motor Cycles - If you can avoid hiring a motor cycle it may save you some unnecessary grief. The accident rate in Phuket Island is horrendous and the companies that hire them often invent damage that was already there when you return the vehicle to them, then they may overcharge an unwary customer. Return form Phuket Thailand to Thailand Holidays
|
The choice of hotels is endless and they offer good value for money from the best 5 star hotels to the cheaper accommodation. We have stayed in many but you should make sure that the cheaper ones include air conditioning. Most do though! 
